Disposable toilet kit



Sept. 10, 1968 A, JAMES DISPOSABLE TOILET KIT Filed May 27, 1966 FIG. 2

Dlllllldllllll Ill-4 FIG. 5

INVENTOR. ALBE RT T. JAMES ATTORNEY FIG.

United States Patent 3,400,409 DISPOSABLE TOILET KIT Albert T. James, 1057 Bryn Mawr Ave., Youngstown, Ohio 44505 Filed May 27, 1966, Ser. No. 553,541

3 Claims. (Cl. 41)

This invention relates to an inexpensive and disposable toilet kit for assistance in performing certain ablutions, and constitutes apparatus in addition to that generally available in public restrooms. The primary object of the invention is to provide a disposable kit for such specialized use which is extremely inexpensive to manufacture and which is readily collapsible so that the same may be distributed in a small paper box of standardized size which may be dispensed by automatic vending equipment which is commonly located in public areas. A further object of the invention is the provision of such disposable apparatus which has a container portion and a hanger device readily nestable in the container to facilitate packaging for dispensing but which may be readily attached to the container in such manner that the container when filled or partially filled with water may be supported in readily accessible position on a plumbing fixture normally found in public restrooms.

The above and other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent upon consideration of the following specification and the accompanying drawing wherein there is disclosed the preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a transverse sectional view of the toilet kit of the invention shown collapsed in approximate condition that it would be when inserted in a dispensing or vending box;

3 FIGURE 2 is a vertical sectional of the article of the o invention shown in expanded and water-filledv condition and attached in standby position to a plumbing fixture;

FIGURE 3 is a plan view of the plumbing fixture and the article of the invention in relative position in which the combination would actively be used; and

FIGURES 4 and 5 are plan and end views, respectively, of a suitable vending or dispensing box for the article of the invention, the collapsed article being shown in dotted outline in the box.

Referring now to the structure of the aforesaid container and its support, the former is preferably made of a rectangular frame 10 of lightweight but very strong plastic material, the frame 10 preferably has an upper bead 11 and a depending flange 12. The latter is preferably tapered or feathered toward its bottom edge for economy of material and to assist in withdrawing from amold, but it should be noted that the structure of the frame 10 and particularly its cross-sectional configuration makes for substantial resistance to breakage or bending in a vertical direction when the frame is supported horizontally and bearing a depending load of water.

Suitably adhered to the inner face of the flange 12 is the upper edge portion of a fluid impervious bag 13 cheaply made of plastic film of any of the many known materials suitable for this purpose and in the manner now commonly in widespread use for the production of packaging bags. As such, the bags 13 is not only impervious to fluid but is also readily collapsible in the manner suggested in FIGURE 1 of the drawing. Obviously, the bag 13 is rectangular in plan, and its side walls may be pleated or creased in its process of manufacture to facilitate its collapse in the manner suggested in FIGURE 1 whereby the size of its dispensing box or container may be made quite small.

7 A pair of opposed apertures 14 is formed in the flange 12 of the frame 10 immediately below the upper bead 3,400,409 Patented Sept. 10, 1968 11 to receive the outwardly disposed end portions of a spring clip 15. The latter is most conveniently fabricated of a length of spring wire and is generally V-shaped in plan with an integral hook 17 at the apex and with the spring bias of the clip such that the end portion 16 ar held in outer positions as shown in FIGURE 3 whereby the frame 10 and the container 13 dependent therefrom will be retained in horizontal position when the hook 17 is fitted over the rim 23 of a toilet bowl 22 or of the seat 24 thereof as shown in FIGURES 2 and 3. Reference numeral 25 designates the water tank of the plumbing fixture. It should be noted that an intermediate portion of the clip 15 bears on the bead 11 and that the apertures 14 are fairly close to this engaged portion of the bead. Thus, while the assembly is fairly light in weight, simple in design, and made of very inexpensive components, the same is adequate to properly support an appreciable quantity of water in either of the positions shown in FIGURES 2 and 3 of the drawing. The first position is merely a state of readiness while in the position of FIGURE 3 the water is properly positioned or being used for its intended purpose.

In the packaging of the device herein disclosed, the same is first collapsed and shown in FIGURE 1 to sIideably fit in a dispensing box 20 indicated in FIGURES 4 and 5. Of course, at this time the supporting clip 15 is removed from the apertures 14 so that the clip may be nested within the collapsed container to facilitate the packaging. Also received within the collapsed container may be a small quantity or packet 18 of detergent or other desired material and a folded paper towel 19 and/ or a sanitary napkin, not shown herein, if the latter is desired in the assembly.

In the use of the device herein disclosed, it will be understood that after removing the assembly from the box 20 the supporting clip or bracket 15 may be first applied to the container as shown in FIGURES 2 and 3 and other contents of the container removed after which the container may be filled with water from the wash basin faucet or faucets of the washroom. The filled container may then be carried in a horizontal position to the supporting positions shown in FIGURES 2 and 3 of the drawing.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is:

1. A disposable toilet kit adapted to be dispensed in a fiat box comprising a rigid frame, a collapsible fluidimpervious bag secured to and depending from said frame, said bag being collapsed in a vertical direction when said frame is horizontally disposed and being adapted to receive and store flat toilet accessories, and a generally flat supporting bracket readily attachable to said frame and being of a size capable of also being stored in said collapsed bag, and said bracket being operative when attached to said frame to support the same in horizontal position from a component of a plumbing fixture, said supporting bracket characterized by an end portion adapted to support said frame in cantilevered outward position and an opposite end portion formed with a hook whereby the bracket may be supported from said fixture.

2. An article according to claim 1 further characterized in that said frame has a pair of oppositely disposed horizontal apertures in one end portion thereof, and said bracket being formed of a length of spring wire with outwardly extending end terminals adapted to be received in said apertures, the inherent spring bias of said bracket being such as to maintain said end terminals in said apert-ures.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2 further character- 0 ized in that said frame is provided with an upper con- 3 ing outwardly turned whereby an intermediate portion of said bracket will bear on a portion of said bead to thereby horizontally support said frame in a cantilevered manner.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 222,868 12/1879 Church 4-6 1,493,222 5/1924 ONeill 4-1 Muller 4l Terlizzi 4-141 Wuest 4-142 Ross 4-14l Lange 4110 Bobbe 4-110 LAVERNE D. GEIGER, Primary Examiner.

H. K. ARTIS, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A DISPOSABLE TOILET KIT ADAPTED TO BE DISPENSED IN A FLAT BOX COMPRISING A RIGID FRAME, A COLLAPSIBLE FLUIDIMPERVIOUS BAG SECURED TO AND DEPENDING FROM SAID FRAME, SAID BAG BEING COLLAPSED IN A VERTICAL DIRECTION WHEN SAID FRAME IS HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED AND BEING ADAPTED TO RECEIVE AND STORE FLAT TOILET ACCESSORIES, AND A GENERALLY FLAT SUPPORTING BRACKET READILY ATTACHABLE TO SAID FRAME AND BEING OF A SIZE CAPABLE OF ALSO BEING STORED IN SAID COLLAPSED BAG, AND SAID BRACKET BEING OPERATIVE WHEN ATTACHED TO SAID FRAME TO SUPPORT THE SAME IN HORIZONTAL POSITION FROM A COMPONENT OF A PLUMBING FIXTURE, SAID SUPPORTING BRACKET CHARACTERIZED BY AN END PORTION ADAPTED TO SUPPORT SAID FRAME IN CANTILEVERED OUTWARD POSITION AND AN OPPOSITE END PORTION FORMED WITH A 